Automatic candle snuffer

ABSTRACT

The automatic candle snuffer is a mechanical timer driven device that extinguishes a candle in a jar after a user selectable time interval. A clamp mounts the candle snuffer to the mouth of the jar. The snuffing mechanism is a spring driven gear housing shaped to cover the mouth of the jar in the closed position, but which rotates around a stationary pin to uncover the jar. The gear housing contains a spring-driven timer, which drives a plurality of gears. Rotating the upper portion of the gear housing relative to the lower portion winds a timing spring, while rotating the entire housing around the pivot pin uncovers the mouth of the jar and winds a return spring. When the timer spring is unwound, a release mechanism frees the gear housing allowing the return spring to rotate the gear housing until the mouth of the jar is covered.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to candle accessories, and in particular, to an automatic candle snuffer that extinguishes a candle automatically after a preset interval.

2. Description of the Related Art

Although electric lighting displaced the use of candles as the main source of lighting in the late 19^(th) century, candles are still very frequently used. Candles are used to provide lighting during emergency situations when the normal supply of electrical power is interrupted, and also to add mood or ambiance to a setting during seasonal celebrations, or at other times when it is desired to establish an atmosphere. Scented candles are used to provide fragrances to a room for festive and other special occasions. Some candles are provided with special chemicals that are purported to provide therapeutic benefits when the chemicals are released through burning the candles. For all of the above reasons, the use of candles has remained popular, even during modern times.

All burning candles have the common feature that they present an open flame. When left unattended the open flame of a candle can cause a fire that has the potential to cause extensive property damage, and that can even result in injury or death. While people often light candles with the intention of extinguishing them later, it is not uncommon that candles are left burning through being forgotten, or because the person who lit the candle has fallen asleep.

One solution to the problem has been to enclose the candle in a jar. While this does limit the possibility of accidental contact with the flame by flammable materials, the risks associated with burning candies are not completely eliminated by enclosing the candle. Unattended candles may be accidentally upset, exposing the flame and spilling hot wax, which results in a fire or burn hazard. Also, when a candle burns inside a container for long periods of time, the container is heated, presenting a burn hazard and a possible source of ignition for a fire.

In order to reduce the hazard, various extinguishing devices employing timers have been developed. An exemplary device is described in Japanese Patent No. 6-74,443, published on Mar. 15, 1994. The '443 patent describes an electrically-operated timer mechanism using a solenoid actuator to extinguish a flame.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, an automatic candle snuffer solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The automatic candle snuffer is a device with a mechanical timer that extinguishes a candle in a jar after a user-selectable time interval. A clamp mounts the candle snuffer to the mouth of the jar. A stationary pin attached to the clamp serves as a pivot point for the snuffing mechanism. The snuffing mechanism is a spring-driven gear housing shaped to cover the mouth of the jar in the closed position, but which rotates around the stationary pin to uncover the jar. The mechanism employs two springs; a timer spring and a return spring. The gear housing contains a spring-driven timer, which drives a plurality of timer gears. Rotating the upper portion of the portion of the gear housing relative to the lower portion of the gear housing winds the timing spring. Rotating the gear housing around the pivot pin to uncover the mouth of the jar winds the return spring. When the jar is uncovered, the candle housed in the jar may be lit.

A release mechanism for returning the gear housing in the uncovered position is attached to the timer gears. Releasing the gear housing allows the timer spring to gradually unwind, rotating the gears. When the timer spring is unwound, the release mechanism releases the gear housing, and the return spring then rotates the gear housing until the mouth of the jar is covered. When the mouth of the jar is covered, the burning candle consumes the oxygen in the jar, and the candle flame is extinguished once the oxygen is depleted.

In an alternative embodiment, the automatic candle snuffer is mounted within a decorative candle shade. A timing mechanism includes a gear train operative to move a snuffing lid between a position opening the mouth of the jar and a position covering the mouth of the candle jar, the timing being determined by the spring constant of a timer spring.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of an automatic candle snuffer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an automatic candle snuffer showing the candle snuffer in the open position.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of a timer mechanism of an automatic candle snuffer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clamping mechanism for securing the automatic candle snuffer of the present invention to a candle jar.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of an automatic candle snuffer according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the candle snuffer of FIG. 5 in the closed or snuffed position.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the candle snuffer of FIG. 5 in the open position.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of an automatic candle snuffer according to the present invention in an open position.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the candle snuffer of FIG. 8 in the closed position.

FIG. 10 is a schematic elevational view, partially in section, of the timer mechanism of the candle snuffer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a schematic elevational view, partially in section, of the timer mechanism of the candle snuffer of FIG. 5

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is an automatic candle snuffer for extinguishing a lit candle automatically after an interval of time. The candle snuffer employs a spring that is wound by the user. When the spring unwinds, a gear train is triggered to close the mouth of a jar housing the burning candle.

A first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4. Referring first to FIG. 1, an automatic candle snuffer 20 is shown attached to a jar 30 containing a candle 32. The candle snuffer 20 is attached to the mouth of the jar 30 via a clamp. In FIG. 1, the candle snuffer 20 is shown in the closed position. The candle snuffer 20 includes a gear housing having an upper gear housing 24 and a lower gear housing 28. A reset pin 26 extends through an opening in the upper gear housing 24.

FIG. 2 shows the candle snuffer 20 in the open position. The gear housing 40, which comprises the upper gear housing 24 and the lower gear housing, serves as the closing portion of the candle snuffer 20. In FIG. 2, the gear housing 40 has been rotated in a horizontal plane until the mouth of the jar 30 is completely uncovered. In this position, the candle 32 can be lit, and the flame of the candle 32 will burn as long as the mouth of the jar 30 remains uncovered. When the jar mouth is covered, the candle flame will quickly deplete the oxygen trapped in the jar 30. The flame will then be extinguished by the lack of available oxygen.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the gear housing 40 showing the spring-driven timer mechanism. A stationary pin 34 is attached to clamp 22 (shown more clearly in FIG. 4) and extends through an opening in the lower housing 28. To wind the timer spring 86 (shown in FIG. 10) of the timer mechanism, the upper housing 24 is rotated relative to the lower housing on a central pivot 37, turning the central timer gear 36 and activating a gear train to wind the timer spring 86. When the gear housing 40 is rotated around the stationary pin 34 in a horizontal plane, a stationary gear attached to the stationary pin 34 turns a second gear train 98, winding return spring 92 (shown in FIG. 10). In this way the action of opening the jar 30 to light the candle 32 winds the snuffer return spring 92, preparing the snuffer to close the jar 30. When the gear housing 40 is released, the timer spring 86 gradually unwinds, turning the gear train including central timer gear 36. When the timer times out, the timing gears trigger a release mechanism or reset lever 38 allowing the snuffer return spring 92 to rotate the second gear train 98, quickly rotating the gear housing 40 around the stationary pin 34 to cover the mouth of the jar 30. Varying times can be set for the mechanism to close by the amount of initial rotation or turns given to the upper housing 24 when winding the timing mechanism. A reset pin 26 extends through an opening in the upper gear housing 24. Pressing the reset pin 26 actuates reset lever 38, which coacts with the gear mechanism, which operates an escape mechanism, causing the snuffer return spring 92 to rotate the gear housing 40 to cover the mouth of the jar 30, extinguishing the candle 32 without waiting for the timer spring 86 to unwind.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, details of the clamp 22 can be seen. The clamp jaws can be expanded by squeezing the finger grips 44 together against the torsion spring 46. The finger grips pivot around a pin 45 expanding the clamp. Expanding the clamp permits removing the clamp from the jar 30, and also allows the automatic candle snuffer to be attached to jars of varying sizes. When the finger grips 44 are released, torsion spring 46 forces the clamp 22 to hold tightly to the mouth of the jar 30. The stationary pin 34, which provides the pivot point for the extinguishing cover 40, is attached to the clamp 22. The jaws or gripping surfaces of the clamp 22 may be lined with a friction enhancing material, such as rubber, in order to enhance the firmness of the attachment to the jar 30. The friction enhancing material should be heat resistant since the heat of the candle will result in an elevated temperature of the jar.

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation showing the operation of the timer mechanism. The candle snuffer is opened by manually rotating the gear housing 40 around the stationary pin 34. As the gear housing 40 is rotated around the stationary pin 34, the rotation is transmitted through snuffer return gears 98 a and 98 b to wind the snuffer return spring 92. The timer spring 86 is then wound by rotating the upper housing 24 on the central pivot shaft 37. The rotation of the upper housing is transmitted through the gears 36 a, 36 b, 36 c, and 36 d to the mainspring 86 (a flat, rectangular spiral spring, similar to the mainspring of a watch), winding the mainspring 86. Once the timer spring 86 is wound, the snuffer is held in place by the escape mechanism 94 which engages snuffer return gear 98 b preventing the snuffer from immediately returning to the closed position. When the upper housing 24 is released, the mainspring 86 gradually unwinds, and rotation is transmitted through the gear train 36 a-36 d. The unwinding is controlled by a conventional timer escape mechanism 84 which, when engaged, operates to release the spring 86 in increments. When the timer mechanism times out, a timer gear 36 d operates the reset lever 38, which releases the reset mechanism escape 94. The reset spring 92 then rotates the second set of gears 98 a and 98 b, rotating the gear housing 40 around the stationary pin 34 thereby covering the mouth of the jar 30. Pressing the reset pin 26 at any time disengages the reset escape mechanism 94 and allows the reset spring 92 to drive the snuffer closed without waiting for the timer mechanism to time out.

An alternative embodiment of the invention will be described by referring to FIGS. 5-9.

FIG. 5 illustrates an automatic candle snuffer with a decorative shade 50. The shade 50 may be made of ceramic material, or any other heat resistant material. Preferably the material chosen presents an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The shade 50 includes a slot 56 through which a reset lever 54 can extend from a gear mechanism mounted within the shade 50. The slot 56 includes a detent or latching position, which holds the lever in a locked position. Mounted within the shade 50 is a spring-driven timer mechanism. A thumb crank 52 extends through the shade and is used to wind the timer spring 86 of the timer mechanism. The shade 50 and timer mechanism is mounted to the mouth of ajar 58, holding a candle 60.

FIG. 6 shows the automatic snuffer mechanism in the closed or extinguishing position. The reset lever 54 is in the unlatched position. The reset lever 54 is spring-loaded by the reset lever spring 92, with the reset lever spring 92 biased to return the reset lever 54 to the unlatched position when the reset lever spring 92 is not held in place. The reset lever positions gears in the timer mechanism to close the semicircular shaped snuffer plates or leaves 62 a and 62 b, which close off the mouth of the jar 58. To light the candle, the candle shade with the timer mechanism and snuffing plates is lifted off of the jar and the candle is lit. The reset lever 54 is moved to the latched position as shown in FIG. 7, opening the plates or leaves 62 a and 62 b so that when the shade is returned to the mouth of the jar, the lit candle can receive oxygen and continue burning. The thumb crank 52 is wound, energizing the timer spring 86. The reset lever 54 positions the semicircular snuffer plates 62 a and 62 b in the open position, allowing the lit candle to receive oxygen. The amount of winding of the thumb crank 52 determines the amount of time required for the snuffer members 62 a, 62 b to close. When the plates 62 a and 62 b close, the candle flame will quickly deplete the oxygen trapped in the jar 58. The candle flame will then be extinguished by the lack of available oxygen.

The snuffer plates 62 a and 62 b may be of any shape that can cover the mouth of the jar 58 when in the closed position, and that will uncover the mouth of the jar 58 when the reset lever 54 is in the latched position.

The snuffer plates 62 a, 62 b need not be semicircles, but may have any desired shape as long as the snuffer plates complement each other to cover the mouth of the jar 58 to effectively seal off oxygen from the candle flame. For example, the snuffer plates 62 a, 62 b may be formed from any mating shapes that fit together to form a disk.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternative embodiment of an automatic candle snuffer 78 mounted in a shade 50. The shade 50 may be made of ceramic or other heat resistant material. The candle snuffer 78 comprises a timer mechanism and snuffing plates mounted to the shade using screws 82 or any other suitable securing means. The snuffing plate is a circular lid 76. The candle snuffer 78 includes a thumb crank 52 provided for winding a spring in the gearbox 80. The reset lever 54 is spring-loaded by lever return spring 92 the lever return spring biased so that when the reset lever 54 is released, the reset lever 54 returns to the fully unlatched position to close the lid 76. FIG. 9 shows the lid 76 in the closed position. To open the lid 76, the reset lever 54 is moved in a slot 56 in the candle shade 50 to the latched position, as shown in FIG. 8. The reset lever 54 operates a first gear 72. The first gear 72, in turn, rotates a second gear 74 that moves the lid 76 (attached to gear 74 by a rigid arm) away from the opening defined by the ring of the candle snuffer 78. The candle snuffer 78 is attached to the mouth of a jar containing a candle, and the candle can be lit and will burn while the snuffer 78 is open, as shown in FIG. 8. Once the thumb crank 52 is released, the mainspring in the gear box 80 will unwind, rotating the gears in the gear box 80. When the timer complete times out, one of the timer gears 36 g will operate a release lever 90. The release lever will push the reset lever 54 out of the latching slot 56, and the reset lever return spring will return to the fully unlatched position, closing the candle snuffer 78. Once the candle snuffer is closed, the candle will be extinguished once the oxygen in the candle jar is consumed.

The amount of time required to extinguish the candle is determined by the number of turns the thumb crank 52 is wound. An indicator may be provided on the candle shade 50 or on the thumb crank 52 to indicate the time the candle will burn.

By referring to FIG. 11, the operation of the timing mechanism for the candle snuffers shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 8 may be understood. Rotating the thumb crank 52 winds the mainspring 86 by rotating the gears 36 a-36 g. The mainspring 86 is a flat spiral spring connected to drive the gears 36 a-36 g as it unwinds. When the thumb crank 52 is released, the mainspring 86 unwinds, rotating the gears 36 a-36 g of the timer mechanism. The unwinding is controlled by a conventional timer escape mechanism 84, which operates to release the spring 86 in increments to control the speed of rotation of the gear housing gears 36 a-36 g. The timer mechanism is connected to the reset lever 54 through a linkage 90, which trips the reset lever 54 out of the latched position after the spring 86 unwinds and times out the timer mechanism. As described above, when the reset lever 54 is unlatched, the spring-loaded lever 54 returns to the unlatched position, closing the candle snuffer.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. An automatic candle snuffer, comprising: a clamp adapted for mounting to a mouth of ajar housing a candle; a gear housing having an upper housing and a lower housing disposed beneath the lower housing, the gear housing being dimensioned and configured for covering the mouth of the jar in a closed position; a stationary pin attached to the clamp, the stationary pin having an upper portion extending through the lower gear housing and a stationary gear attached to the upper portion; a first gear train disposed within the gear housing having a gear engaging the stationary gear on the upper portion of the stationary pin; a return spring mounted to the first gear train, the return spring being a spiral spring wound by rotation of the upper and lower gear housing on the stationary pin to uncover the mouth of the jar; a second gear train disposed within the gear housing and attached to the upper gear housing, rotation of the upper gear housing relative to the lower gear housing actuating the second gear train; a timer spring mounted to the second gear train, the timer spring being a spiral spring wound by rotation of the upper gear housing relative to the lower gear housing; an escape mechanism engaging the first gear train for holding the return spring in the wound position; a release mechanism attached to the second gear train, the release mechanism being pivotally mounted to disengage the escape mechanism when the timer spring is unwound so that the return spring unwinds to actuate the first gear train, rotating the gear housing about the stationary pin to cover the mouth of the jar.
 2. The automatic candle snuffer according to claim 1, further comprising a reset pin extending through the gear housing, the reset pin being coupled to the escape mechanism so that pressing the reset pin disengages the escape mechanism, thereby unwinding the return spring to rotate the first gear train in order to rotate the gear housing to the cover the mouth of the jar.
 3. The automatic candle snuffer of claim 1, wherein said clamp comprises: a pair of curved jaws adapted for engaging the mouth of the jar; a torsion spring connected to the jaws, the spring biasing the jaws together to grip opposing sides of the mouth of the jar; and finger grips extending from the jaws, the torsion spring being disposed between the finger grips.
 4. An automated candle snuffer, comprising; a candle shade having a slot defined therein, the slot having a latching detent at one end of the slot, the candle shade being adapted for mounting to a mouth of ajar housing a candle; a lever slidably engaging the slot, the lever attached to a first spring biased to return the lever to an unlatched position at the end of the slot opposite from the latching detent; a first gear connected to the lever; at least one second gear engaging the first gear; a lid adapted for covering the mouth of the jar; an arm connecting the lid to the at least one second gear whereby moving the lever to the latched position the rotates the first and second gear moving the arm to move the lid to uncover the jar and whereby moving the lever to the unlatched position the first and second gear moving the arm to move the lid to cover the jar; a gearbox having a mainspring and a gear train connected to the mainspring; means for winding the mainspring; a release mechanism attached to the gear train operable to move the reset lever out of the latching detent when the mainspring is unwound, rotating the lid to the closed position covering the mouth of the jar in order to extinguish the candle in the jar.
 5. The automated candle snuffer of claim 4, wherein the candle shade is made of ceramic material.
 6. The automated candle snuffer of claim 4 wherein, the lid comprises two plates having complimentary shapes adapted to cover the mouth of the jar, and said at least one second gear comprises two gears, each of the two gears being attached to one of the plates, respectively, wherein the two gears rotate the two complementary plates towards each other to close the mouth of the jar in the closed position.
 7. The automated candle snuffer of claim 6, wherein the plates are semicircular plates.
 8. The automated candle snuffer of claim 4, wherein the lid comprises a one-piece disk for covering the mouth of the jar.
 9. An apparatus for extinguishing a candle in a container comprising: means for securing the apparatus to a mouth of the container; a cover adapted for covering the mouth of the container; spring-driven timer means for gradually rotating the cover between an open position uncovering the mouth of the container and a closed position covering the mouth of the container after a selected time interval.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said cover comprises a pair of complementary members, the complementary members being rotated to abut each other in the closed position in order to cover the mouth of the container. 